‘Outlander’ Designer Trisha Biggar Reveals Secrets Behind TV’s Most Iconic Costumes (EXCLUSIVE)
We speak to the visionary behind 'Outlander' costumes—and Star Wars' Padmé
When tuning in to Outlander and its prequel, Blood of My Blood, most are taken by the gripping storylines and swoon-worthy romance, but what truly ties these tales together are the details. Trisha Biggar has worked as a costume designer on Outlander since the show’s fifth season, and recently lent her skills and vision to Blood of My Blood. She’s been the mastermind behind some of Claire and Jamie’s most iconic looks, as well as some of the beautiful pieces we’ve gotten to see characters like Ellen, Julia, Henry and Brian wear in season 1 of the prequel. For Biggar, however, this isn’t her first rodeo in a series with a major cult following: the visionary was the mastermind behind some of Padmé Amidala’s most celebrated looks in Star Wars, worn by Natalie Portman. In an exclusive conversation with Woman’s World, Biggar reveals what it’s really like dressing the stars on our screens.
Trisha Biggar’s journey began on the stage
For Biggar, it wasn’t necessarily an affinity for dressing up or clothing that led her in the direction of this profession—instead, she sort of stumbled into it. Growing up a dancer, she would typically make her own costumes, giving her a solid foundation when it came to sewing and making clothes. Fast forward to the time she was around 19, Pitlochry, a town in Scotland, was running a summer theater and needed someone to work the wardrobe department.
“They must have been absolutely desperate, because I think I sent them a letter on Monday, they phoned me on the Wednesday, and I started work the following Monday. It really suited me and I loved it. I had such a great time.” Similar gigs came her way, leading her to pursue art school, and today, she’s the genius behind the stunning garb we’ve seen some of our favorite television and film characters sporting on screen.
‘Outlander’ requires in-depth research
When discussing whether or not she felt any pressure taking over costuming for the hit series four seasons into the show, Trisha’s confidence was evident as she fell into a smooth rhythm that she’s clearly maintained ever since. In the show’s fourth season, Jamie and Claire land in America, marking a new beginning—a timeline that ultimately worked in Trisha’s favor.
“It was towards the end of season four, really, they were just going to begin to start their new life in Fraser’s Ridge, but they didn’t have a lot of clothes, because originally, they were shipwrecked at the end of three, so they didn’t have a big wardrobe,” she explained. “So it was sort of quite a good time for me to start where it was a new life for them, and in the new world with new clothes.”
As for Blood of My Blood, diving into the 18th century and gathering accurate research has been a challenge, but an exciting one. “You have to sort of dig deep. And I’ve always loved researching, and I’ve loved history. History was my favorite subject at school, so I really enjoy the sort of research aspect of it, and managing to sort of find things, and being able to meet with really kind curators and museums who will pull things out of their archives and let you examine them.”
Trisha connects the dots between ‘Outlander’ and ‘Blood of My Blood’
Being that there are 30 years in between the time periods of Outlander and Blood of My Blood, fashion differs between the two shows, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t at least a little bit of overlap between the two. “We have pulled things from Outlander, or pulled colors that people wore and used them,” she revealed. “So there are things that we did to link them to their older selves. We have used items from Outlander, because obviously all the Outlander stock is here in the studio,” she said, referring to some of the capes that appeared in both series, or some of the tartan.
She even recalled a fond moment shared with Jamie Roy, who plays Brian Fraser in Blood of My Blood, when he first got fitted for his character. “I actually tried on [one of] Sam Heughan’s early costumes on him, just when he came over to be measured, just to see how things sort of sat. It was amazing, because everything was a perfect fit.” She continued, “He’d just arrived off the plane, and he’d just been cast, and it was a lovely moment. It was lovely for us. It was lovely for him. We’re just sort of standing looking at him in the mirror.”
When it comes to designing the looks worn by these iconic characters, it’s safe to say that Trisha Biggar knows a thing or two. Her passion for bringing history to life through costume reminds us that the details we love onscreen come from dedicated artists who pour their hearts into every stitch. See her work continue to enchant viewers in the final season of Outlander, premiering in 2026, and in the debut season of Blood of My Blood, streaming now.
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